Leo
by PriceX
Summary: Leo had been alone for as long as he could remember, he doesn't know who he is or who his parents are. All he has is a name. Join him in his search for the family he's always wanted, along the way meeting pirates, lost boys, and much more. Will he find his parents, or will he fail? Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Leo POV

The evening breeze brushed through my hair as I walked past the open window. The same window I passed all day every day as I served those 'above me'. I stole a brief glance out the window, momentarily watching the children kicking a ball around; their laughter filled the air like music to my ears. I gave a heavy sigh, wondering what I ever did wrong in my life, was it so wrong that I just wanted to laugh and play?

Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall I turned back to my work, a man was sat in the corner of the room, laughing, a woman on his lap. He noticed me, watched me for a few seconds before clicking his fingers. I held back another sigh as I made my way over to him, taking in every inch of his appearance as I went. He had tousled black hair and dark eyes, stubble on his chin and dressed in all black leather with a very open shirt collar, a sword resting on his hip and a hook for a hand. He was in every sense of the word a pirate. We got a lot of those here since our village contained a dock, so I knew what to look for. I'd never seen him before however.

'You boy, be a good lad and fetch me some more rum'

He didn't sound like he was from around here; his voice was harsh, yet in some odd way soothing, as though he meant no harm. This was ridiculous really considering who he was. He flicked a large coin towards me which I caught expertly with no effort; I gave a slight nod and rushed off to get his order. I gave the coin straight to the man behind the bar, my master.

'Rum'

I said simply, my voice croaky from lack of use, I was to only speak if necessary, which for me, wasn't very often. I was handed a rusted tankard and sent on my way, I held it carefully with both hands as my hands were too small to just use one. I walked slowly to my destination, ensuring that not a drop was spilled. One of the boys from the village was here with his Papa, Billy, he was 10 years old and hated me, I didn't know why but he did. Not that it mattered, everyone I met seemed to hate me no matter what I did or said. I saw him from the corner of my eye, a smirk planted firmly on his face, he wasn't much taller than me, but it didn't matter, I saw it too late. His foot connected with mine and I couldn't stop it. Time seemed to slow down as I fell forwards, the drink flying through the air ahead of me, landing all over the pirate I was delivering it to. The tankard clattered noisily on the floor and so did I, landing sprawled out at his feet. I heard the whole pub go silent. Everyone watching with bated breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

'Bloody hell lad, what do you think you're playing at!?' I cowered beneath the booming voice as he stood, shaking the liquid from his arms  
'Now, you're going to run along and fetch me some rum, and you're going to be quick about it, and if you don't. You see this hook? I can get very creative with it.'  
I tried to stand but my arms wouldn't hold me. It didn't matter though, he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at Billy, danger glared in his eyes and the boy didn't dare disobey. I felt a hand wrap around my upper arm, pulling me gently to my feet.

'Are you alright lad?' I looked up, the fury of the pirate had vanished from his eyes, and instead I saw kindness? Concern? I was in shock; no-one had ever asked me if I was alright, I didn't know how to reply. So instead I simply nodded. Then I saw my master walking over, a new tankard in hand, Billy in tow. He shot me a glare that told me it would be a painful night.

'Captain, so sorry about the boy' he nodded towards me 'still learning his place, hasn't been with me long, he'll be punished though I assure you. Here, a new drink, on the house' He tossed the coin that had been paid earlier back to the pirate, handing over the drink and roughly grabbed me by the collar.

The captain looked confused; he sat back down nodding his thanks to my master and ran his cold and calculating eyes over me. He seemed to take in my appearance for the first time. Dirty blond tousled hair, skin darkened with dirt which contrasted with my bright blue eyes. A bruise on my chin was barely visible through the dirt. A brown leather apron covered the rags I wore, burns and scars littered my arms and my feet were bare. Trademark signs of either poverty or slavery. The blue cloth around my neck proved it to be the latter.

My master then began to walk away swiftly, dragging me along with him. He shoved me roughly into the back room and closed the door behind him. I zoned out as he yelled at me, nodding my head in the right places. I'd heard the rant too many times, how I was worthless and nothing but trouble, not worth the money he spent on me. I'd probably be sold again tomorrow, oh well; maybe it was for the best. I watched as he pulled out an old leather belt, folded it in half, making sure that the buckle would hit me. He swung his arm back high. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the impact that was sure to come soon. It never came. I heard knocking on the door behind me. My master shoved me out of the way and told me to be quiet as he went through the door, closing it once again. I heard muffled voices talking, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. A few minutes had passed before the door opened again, a triumphant smile upon his face.

'You're no longer my problem boy. You've been sold. Good luck with the most bloodthirsty pirate to sail the seas.'

I kept my face blank of emotion as I looked upon my new master's face. It was the pirate who asked me if I was alright. He was staring at me from behind the bar, coins in his hand, ready to give in exchange for me. The cloth around my neck was torn from me by my old master. I didn't know what to think, he looked so kind earlier, but now, I couldn't help but stare at the hook replacing his hand, the sword on his hip. I couldn't help but think how much they would hurt.

'Come along lad, I haven't got all day, I have a ship to attend to'

He put his hand on the back of my neck, guiding me forwards gently. We walked through the silent crowd, I saw Billy, and he was watching, glee on his face. He knew he had won. The Captain, my master, guided me through the town, all the way to the docks. I looked upon his ship for the first time. She was beautiful. The smooth, dark wood and black sails hung from the mast.

'A fine ship isn't she' the captain almost muttered to himself, not waiting for a response he guided me along the platform that led to her deck. He led me into the cabin, gesturing to the seat that sat in front of the ornate desk, littered with maps, scribbled notes, and a compass. I gingerly sat down, not wanting to get on the wrong side of the man. He collapsed in the seat opposite, taking out a hip flask and taking a swig from it.

'What's your name then lad?'

'Leo' My voice was still croaky, I wasn't used to speaking. He took another swig, looking me up and down. He hesitated for a moment

'Captain Hook, where are your parents lad?' He watched as my face contorted with a mix of emotions, pain, confusion, anger, and then sadness. I took a deep breath.

'I don't know' my voice was shaking 'I was told they died in a fire when I was 3, I-I've been sold from person to person for the last 4 years. But I know they aren't dead, I can feel that they're alive. But I don't have any memories of them; the only thing I can remember is my name. Leo.'

'A name is a very powerful thing lad, keep hold of it' He nodded, deep in thought. I watched as he stood and walked over to a chest in the corner of the room, opened it and pulled out some clothes and shoes. Walking over and handing them to me said simply

'I don't plan to enslave you boy, you're free to go if you wish it. You're welcome to stay the night however' and with that, he walked out the door closing it behind him.

I took a shaky breath, trying to figure out what had just happened over the past hour. The clothes in my hand felt warm and soft to touch. I spread them out on the table. A soft cotton white shirt with an open collar, dark brown trousers made of soft leather, and the shoes, I hadn't ever had the luxury of wearing shoes, I'd only ever imagined what they must feel like, I slipped my feet into the soft, supply leather and tied the lace. Walking up and down the room to try them out, it was heaven, it was better than walking on the softest of floors, and my feet immediately began to warm up. Quickly dressing into the other clothes, I wondered what I should do with the rags I wore before. Settling for folding them on the chair I had occupied I now had time to take in the full effects of Hook's cabin.

Behind the ornate desk stood a soft leather chair, the back wall was primarily a window, a black and gold telescope sat on a ledge nearby. The chest that the clothes had come from was old, made of a dark, rough wood with silver fastenings. There was a door which presumably led to the captain's bed, other than this the room was lacking of furnishings. Among the scribbles of paper on the desk were several drawings, one of a beautiful woman, the light seemed to capture a twinkle in her eye. Clearly a lover by the way he had drawn her. I then noticed a small mirror on the wall; I carefully made my way over and took in my appearance. I looked more like myself than I ever had done before, the almost well fitting clothes made me wonder whom they had belonged to. I ran a hand through my dirt filled hair and sighed, wondering if I would ever know my parents.

Hook knocked before entering the cabin once again, taking in my appearance, nodding almost in approval he picked up the rags with his hook and tossed them in a wooden bucket in the corner of the room. He set down a bowl of broth on one side of the table before leaving again only to return with another. A shorter, slightly plump man followed behind carrying two tankards, one filled with rum, the other with water.

'Sit down lad, eat' He gestured to the bowl of broth, I looked in amazement, he was allowing me to eat, and with him at that? I quickly took my seat and before he could change his mind dug in to the food that sat before me. It was good. Probably the best I'd ever had. It was full of chunks of meat and vegetables, and a hunk of bread for dipping. I picked up the tankard and took a long swig, half expecting the usual dirty water, but it was fresh, and I downed the whole drink before continuing with the food as though I'd never eaten before. Hook didn't once comment on manners, in fact, he ate with almost the same vigour, even licking the bowl when he'd finished before grinning at me.

The next morning I woke from the most comfortable night sleep I'd had in years, moving from the hammock, I quickly ate some leftover bread and drank two tankards of water for breakfast.

'Where are you off to then lad?' He actually looked concerned, as though he would prefer me to stay on the ship with him.

'I need to find my memories, my parents' I was confident, I knew I could survive now. He still looked worried. He told me to wait a moment and disappeared into his cabin, returning minutes later with a sword and a compass.

'I want you to take these with you. The compass, it'll guide you wherever you need to go, and the sword to protect yourself. Be careful lad okay?'

He wrapped the belt around my waist, the sword hanging on my hip, and placed the chain of the rusted compass around my neck.

'I will be. Goodbye Captain Hook. And thank you' I smiled at him, probably the first smile I'd given anyone in a very long time, I normally loved saying goodbye to people, but he was the first who had ever even seemed to care about me. It was tough. So I turned and left without as much as a glance over my shoulder. I walked until I was out of the village and in the woods, then I stopped, I drew the sword with my left hand and felt the weight, it felt right, as though it was supposed to be there. It was a simple sword, silver blade, black hilt but it was the first time anyone had given me anything, these clothes, the shoes, the sword, and the compass. That was everything in the world that I owned, that belonged to me. It felt good, I took the compass in hand, a chain black with rust, the compass itself the same colour, the red needle pointed me forwards, pointed me towards my goal. So I set off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Leo POV (3 years later)

3 years. 3 years since the night I had left that pirate ship. 3 years since I had been gifted my freedom. I still hadn't found my parents, I didn't think I ever would find them, as I wondered around the edge of a village searching for a good tree to spend the night, I thought of what had changed since that night. I had to steal to eat, I moved village every week so as not to get caught, slept in trees, practiced with my sword. I'd gotten pretty good with it, I'd grown into the clothes I wore, they fit perfectly now, like a second skin. But I still felt alone, sometimes I wondered if I should have gone with Hook, joined him in whatever adventures he had. But I didn't, so it wasn't worth thinking about. I found a good tree – a tall one with wide spread branches and plenty of leaves to keep me warm and out of sight - and climbed it, settling down in the branches and watching the stars to figure out where I was and the time, another thing I'd grown quite good at. My thoughts drifted to adventures as a pirate as I slowly drifted off into a deep slumber.

Music, that's what woke me, the sweet sound of music, it was soft and soothing almost like a lullaby but it had an edge to it that made me want to move and dance and play rather than go back to sleep. I knew I shouldn't leave the tree, but the music was calling to me, it made me want to go towards it, so I did. I climbed down the tree and practically ran into the centre of the village, there was a bonfire, and children, children ranging in ages, some younger than me and some a little older, I'd seen them all around the village before, they were dancing, laughing around the fire. I scanned the area for the source of music, I found it, a boy, and he looked to be around 14 or 15 years old, in his hand a set of pan pipes.

He was watching me with a grin on his impish, pixie like face as he created more music. He had brown hair that lay flat upon his head, a thin nose and chin gave him the look of a pixie. He was dressed in a green tunic, a brown shirt and soft shoes, a dagger resting on his hip along with a heavy brown belt. He gestured for me to join him, to have fun, to play. I felt temptation grow as I watched the other boys dance and laugh and jump around the flames. I walked over to him.

'What's happening, who are you?' He stopped playing, the other boys didn't seem to notice the lack of music, he grinned at me again, taking in my appearance, his eyes settling on the compass around my neck, and then the sword on my hip, my hand held on to the hilt as if waiting for an attack.

'My name's Peter, Peter Pan, and who might you be then?'

'Leo' I said simply, before realising what I'd done, I'd given him everything that I had, my name, my whole essence for existing, the only connection I had with my parents. I gripped the hilt of my sword tighter, readying myself to draw it if necessary. Pan seemed to sense my discomfort.

'Calm down laddy, you're in safe hands; we're just going to take a little trip to my home. To Neverland' As soon as the words left his mouth, things began to fall from the sky, huge black birds, no, they were shadows, one for each boy, one by one a child was plucked from the ground and taken, soaring into the sky. I drew my sword, readying myself to fight. Pan laughed.

'There's no point in trying to fight Leo. I admire a boy with courage though, you'll come in handy' and with that he clicked his fingers, and all I saw was darkness.

When I woke, I found myself on a forest floor, a dark blue cloak covering me, I sat up quickly as the events of the previous night came back to me, I looked around, looking for someone, anyone to tell me where I was. I was in a forest clearing, it was still night, my eyes eventually settled upon an old crooked tree, where a boy was leaning against the branches, dagger in hand.

'Pan' he walked out of the shadows towards me, I drew my sword, taking a deep breath as I held it up in front of me. For the second time that night, he laughed at me.

'I told you not to worry laddy, I told you not to fight me. You're in Neverland now; we play by my rules here.' He stopped for a moment, as if in deep thought 'I'll make you a deal Leo. You do whatever I ask, whenever I ask it, and I'll let you live wherever you want on this island. And I'll let you leave every now and again.'

I thought about it, I really wanted to find my parents; I wanted to know who I was. It was as though he read my mind.

'You need to stop living in the past laddy, stop trying to find people who clearly don't want to be found. You create who you really are, start again. It can be like a game.' He walked further towards me

'I know someone on this island who you would like to see, a certain pirate.' That caught my attention.

'Hook, Hook lives here?' he grinned, almost triumphantly

'Of course he does, so what do you say then?' He held out his hand, I hesitated only a moment, as though being drawn in, before taking it in my own hand. His eyes flashed slightly, almost glowing in the moonlight. He then withdrew his hand, and pointed towards a set of trees

'Through there is a beach, you'll find a boat that will take you to the ship. You'll know when I need you to come out and play' He turned to leave when a thought suddenly came to me.

'Wait. How do you know I wanted Hook?' I almost demanded, drawing my sword yet again, he sighed almost exasperated.

'I told you, this is my home, and I know everything here. And did you really think I wouldn't recognise that compass'

With that he left, I suddenly had the thought that what I'd done was stupid, reckless even. But there was no changing it. I wrapped the dark blue cloak around my shoulders, fastening it and pulling up the hood to protect myself from the cold evening breeze. I walked to the area he had pointed to and did find an old, rotting boat, it didn't look as though it would hold me but I had nothing else to do, walking over the sand that looked as though it were sparkling in the moonlight, I climbed in and before I could even look for an oar, it was off. Like magic it took me through the calm sea, towards that beautiful ship I remembered so well.

'Who goes there' I heard as the boat pulled me closer to the ship, I didn't reply as I saw an old rope ladder tossed over the side for me to be pulled up.

I took a deep breath as I climbed each rotting rung, wondering to myself why everything had to appear broken in this land. I felt a warm hand wrap around my upper arm and haul me onto the deck, steadying me as I regained my balance.

'Well boy, who are you? If you're on the run from Pan you can get right back in that boat and turn around' His voice was harsh, and I didn't recognise who it was.

I felt my hood being pulled roughly from my face, exposing who I was; I looked up to see who was around, to see if I could find Hook. I couldn't. The man in front of me was podgy, his head was covered with a large red woollen hat, and he wore a striped shirt and ripped trousers. He looked at my sword slightly scared, as if a 10 year old was someone to fear but for all I knew, on this island it probably was.

I stole a glace around the ship, looking to see if much had changed in the past 3 years, it hadn't. Still the same smooth dark wood and black sails, still the same engravings near the wheel. It was slightly nostalgic, which was odd considering I'd previously only spent one night aboard the ship.

'Well if you ain't gonna talk boy, we'll see what the Cap'n has to say about yer' I glanced at who spoke, a rough looking man with a balding head and tattoos covering both arms, he held a sword pointed towards my neck and had a slight grin on his face, showing a bunch of black crooked teeth.

I pretended to look scared as he grabbed the cuff of my neck, dragging me forwards but holding the sword against my neck now. He dragged me swiftly towards the captain's cabin, knocking thrice on the door before opening it and pushing me forwards.

I hung my head as we walked further forwards and felt myself being forced to stand beside the desk. I really hoped that he would remember me and that this wouldn't just be a waste of time.

'Well, what's the meaning of this' His voice was exactly as I'd remembered it

'Came aboard Cap'n, won't say his name. Thinkin' he's on the run from Pan. That or he's work'n for the boy'  
He sounded quite proud of himself, and glanced down at me, probably realising that I was hiding my face. The next thing I knew he had grabbed the back of my hair, forcing me to look at Hook. He still looked the same as well, the same tousled black hair and dark eyes, stubble on his chin, still dressed in leather, and the same Hook on in place of his left hand.

As I looked him in the eyes, I saw the realisation dawn on him as to whom I was. I felt relieved that he hadn't forgotten me.

'Leo' he muttered

'Leave us' he ordered towards the man still gripping my hair, who soon scarpered through the door, closing it behind him.

'What are you doing here lad?' He looked quite panicked now, and even more so after I told him what had happened. He reclined into his chair, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, seemingly trying to calm himself down. I sat down in the chair across and waited for him to speak, not really knowing what else to do or say.

'We could just go along with it for now?' I suggested, he nodded as though in deep thought.

'There's nothing else we can do, Pan's powerful, and he doesn't let anyone leave unless he says they can. You're best off on the right side of him boy. You'll stay here for now though. I'll rig up a bed for you, and we just hope that he doesn't need you for a while.'

I watched as he pulled up a hammock near his bed, the same one I'd slept in all those years ago, I thanked him before pulling out a small notebook from my pocket, one I'd never written in before, and dragged a pencil down, making a small line, a tally marking my first day, my first day living as Pan's slave, or whatever you wanted to call it. And with that, I went to sleep, trying not to think of what lay ahead for me.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I haven't uploaded in a while, but I've suddenly been hit with a wave of inspiration, if anyone is still reading this story I'm sorry it took me so long but hopefully I'll be uploading more regularly from now on... anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 3:

Leo POV

It turned out I would mostly be on the ship only to sleep or eat, the crew were wary of me at first but they soon grew accepting of me after a few nights… and with a little encouragement from Hook.

Pan had me meet the rest of who he called his Lost Boys the very first day. They were all ragged, dirty, and all had some sort of wound from the games they played. They all looked quite different, ranging in age from about 6 to around 14 or 15, some small, some tall. Some with better clothes than others, however they all bore the same look in their eyes, a haunted look, one that comes with having lost too much or never having had it in the first place.

They all saw me as an equal or even someone higher in place than themselves due to being in league with Pan, even if not by a choice of my own. They wanted me to play games with them, but sword fighting to grievous injury or shooting apples off someone's head didn't sound particularly fun to me.

My first task was to deliver food to a prisoner, who I was specifically instructed not to speak to

'Just put the plate down and leave' the instruction was very firm, and held hints of potential punishment if not followed, I merely nodded and left for the general direction that Pan had motioned.

I finally came across a cage, made out of what appeared to be bamboo canes, not the strongest of prisons, but it probably had some kind of magic around it, a protection spell that I would rather not tamper with. Peering inside the cage, I saw a girl; she was young, perhaps the same age as me. She wore a white cotton night dress, her hair was a tangled mess and her skin covered in dirt. She seemed to be asleep so I simply set the food on the floor of her prison and quietly moved away wondering who she was and why she was a prisoner; she was after all, the only girl on the island.

I spent the first couple of weeks doing the same sort of thing; I would eat and sleep on the pirate ship, slowly growing closer to both Hook and his crew. We would laugh and joke and tell stories, and Hook and I would sit until late at night plotting an escape from Pan's grasp. My days were spent with Pan, once a day I would send food to the girl, whose name I learned was Wendy. I would play games with the Lost Boys, games that I actually began to enjoy and win quite regularly. It wasn't too bad of a life.

Then, about a month or so into my stay in Neverland Pan must have decided I was loyal enough to him to begin his dirty work.

'Leo, I have a job for you to do' he pulled me aside, away from the prying ears of Lost Boys. I expected him to ask for me to fetch something, or set up an area for a new game, the usual things.

'You see Tommy over there, he's a bit homesick you see, and a bit disbelieving' I was confused then, did Pan want me to comfort the boy? Did he want me to make him believe some how?

'I want you to kill him. Do it quietly, no one else needs to know, don't worry about the body, I'll get rid of it' his face was completely serious, if not scary, and his tone of voice meant there would be dire consequences if I disobeyed him. But to take away a life like that, all because the kid wanted to go home? It was barbaric. I couldn't do it.

'Don't make me ask again laddy' his voice was taking on a dangerous tone now.

I looked over, towards where Tommy was. He was sat near the bonfire, staring into the flames. The look in his eyes went straight through me; he really didn't want to be here.

'Why can't you just let him leave?' I realised I probably shouldn't have said that when I saw Pan's face.

'Last chance Leo'

But I could understand what it was like to want to go home, even if I'd never had one, not really anyway. But I wanted one; I wanted parents, a family, and love. It was my deepest desire. And if Tommy had that somewhere, why should I take that away from him, do what was done to my own family. Taking away someone's child was, well it just wasn't worth thinking about. I couldn't do it.

'No' I sounded much more confident than I felt, especially when he took a few steps towards me.

'You had a chance to do it willingly' he almost sighed as though he didn't want to have to do this, I didn't know what was going to happen, him walking towards me, when he raised his hand it reminded me of all the times I'd had masters, masters who would hit and punch me if I disobeyed.

But he didn't hit me. He did something much, much worse. He looked me straight in the eyes and dug his hand into my chest, gripping his fingers around my heart, the pain rippled through my body, almost crippling me, but I refused to make a sound. I'd learnt not to make a noise back when I'd get hit. It gave them too much satisfaction. I watched as my heart was ripped from my body, glowing with magic.

It was strange, without a heart, I felt empty, like I couldn't feel anything at all. But at the same time I could, it was just muffled, like sound under water. Pan gripped my heart slightly, which caused a spasm of pain to travel through my body. He was in complete control of me, literally holding my life in his hand.

I had the sudden urge to move, and before I knew it I was walking across to where Tommy sat by the fire. I'd put a hand on his shoulder and told him to follow me. He looked at me, confused, still with that sad, lost look in his eyes but followed me nevertheless.

I took him to a clearing, one that was used rarely and I knew we wouldn't be disturbed here. He began to look scared when I drew my sword.

'W-what are you doing' he was backing away from me, preparing to run.

I swung the sword high, not giving him a chance to run, and brought it down; he gave a thud as he landed on the floor, I'd cut deep into his thigh. He was screaming out in pain, his eyes welling up and his hands gripping at his leg through the crimson liquid flowing freely to the dirt. I raised my sword again, pausing as he whispered

'Please' his voice strained and weak.

I struck hard and watched him, unable to look away, the light in his eyes dimming.

'I'm sorry' I managed to whisper, despite the lack of control I had over myself.

'I think I'll hold on to this for a little while laddy, just until I can trust you again' Pan walked towards me, placing my heart in a pouch hanging on to his belt.

He looked down at the body, Tommy was gone by now, clicked his fingers and the body disappeared, not leaving even a trace of blood. As if nothing at all had happened.

'Remember, if anyone asks, he went home, he was weak, he wasn't needed here' and with that he had disappeared back to the clearing leaving me alone.

I sunk slowly to the floor, leaning against a tree for support and pulled my knees to my chest in comfort. What had I done? I knew I should feel some remorse, some pity, anything really but I didn't, I just felt empty. And that scared me.

The rest of the day went by normally, I played games with the other boys, my actions however were slightly more ruthless than usual, at a time I would normally hesitate, or allow a much younger boy to win, this time I didn't. At first I didn't realise what was happening, I assumed I was just in a bad mood or something due to the events earlier that day, so I tried to let the next boy I fought at least hit me once. But just as his sword was swinging towards my arm I felt a complete loss of control spread through my body. Time seemed to freeze as my eyes locked onto Pan's who was sitting crossed legged on a log watching the games.

His eyes pierced into mine, he was angry with me, my eyes travelled down his face to the smirk he wore, and further down, his hand inside that pouch, the pouch that held my very life. And before I could even blink my eyes snapped back to the sword travelling towards me, and without any warning at all, I felt my arm rise and my sword connected with flesh. Silence.

I'd cut off his hand. The sound around me suddenly rushed to my ears, the child, he was only 7, Jamie I think his name was. He was on the ground screaming, it's all I could hear, his screams and cries as I stood there, frozen to the spot. A few boys rushed towards him, trying to help however they could, the others just stood there, staring at me, fear in their eyes.

Pain swelled in my cheek as the back of Pan's hand connected with my face. I stumbled to the ground under the force of it. I watched as he reached down to Jamie, his magic healing the wound into a stump. Of course he'd make himself out to be the hero, I thought bitterly. Anger coursed through my veins as I lay there on the floor glaring up at him. He seemed to sense my anger and flicked his attention back to me.

I felt as though I were on fire by this point, and he walked slowly over to me, leaving the still crying boy in the care of others. The lost boys watched silently, waiting to see what Pan would do.

'Get up' He said harshly, loud enough only so the few close enough could hear.

I did as I was told, only because I knew he could make me if I disobeyed. My legs were shaking and could barely hold me, Pan's hand hovered near his dagger and I shot a glance at my own sword, which lay just out of reach. He noticed my look and merely raised an eyebrow as if daring me to do something.

I was confused. He was trying to make me out as the bad guy when he was the one to force me to hurt the boy. He's testing me. Testing to see how I would react in front of the lost boys. And by the expression on his face, I was currently failing that test.

The anger coursed through me yet again. My life was so unfair. Enslaved for as long as I can remember, to be finally set free and end up back under the control of a madman. I didn't know what Pan would have me do next and it scared me.

Yet again, Pan seemed to sense my anger, his eyes narrowed slightly.

'Calm down now laddy… we wouldn't want anyone to get seriously hurt now would we?'

Now that did nothing but anger me more, he was the only one causing the hurt around here and he knew it, but he's pinning it all on me! I felt my breathing turn ragged, my arms shaking out of my control. The air around me had a feeling to it I couldn't describe, it felt like electricity. Pan's eyes widened slightly and all of a sudden, something burst inside of me, pulsing through the air away from me and as it reached the crowd in front of me they were all knocked from their feet. Falling to the ground in a heap, the fire extinguished and my sword leapt to my hand.

I felt powerful. And then it was silent. The air went cold, the clearing dark with the lack of fire, and every eye was on me. All wide, filled with tears, they were scared of me, even more so than before. All except Pan. He was standing amongst the havoc, smirking at me, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. So I ran.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I made my way as fast I could to the pirate ship, I was almost in tears by the time I reached the cabin and shut the door behind me with a slam.  
Hook had been writing something when I'd come in, his eyes now meeting mine, concern and confusion filled them as he put away what he'd been working on and walked over to me.

It took me a while to calm down enough to convey my tale to him, I had to keep pausing to regain some composure, Hook was patient though, and didn't speak at all until he was sure I'd finished. Silence filled the cabin as he appeared to be in deep thought, I was only then aware that I was still crying and so took the time to calm down a little and take in what had happened during the day myself.  
I felt odd without a heart, I could still feel everything in a way. I thought it would take away all emotions but it didn't, not quite. It was more like they had been muffled, or dulled in a way, sort of like sound when you're under water. You can feel it, but not to the full effect.  
'I don't know what to suggest lad' I glanced up as the pirate finally spoke  
'I warned you he was dangerous, ruthless, and that his games are not ones you're supposed to win… If I knew of a way to defeat the demon then I wouldn't still be here myself'  
'He seemed at a complete loss, a hopeless look in his eyes that I'd never seen before.  
'So, he just wins then, there's nothing to do until he decides I can have my heart back, I can't leave this place without it, not even if there were a way to escape.' I felt empty at that thought, without a plan, I truly had become one of the lost boys.

The time seemed to fade by in a blur over the next few years, Pan kept hold of my heart and had me do his bidding whenever he felt it necessary, which was a lot more frequently than I would have liked. He had me killing for him whenever a boy would stop hearing the music, or whenever they became too homesick. It was horrible what he had me do to those boys, torture, slow and painful deaths that kept me awake long into the night, the cries that filled the island after sunset haunted me just as much, the thought that one of those crying boys would be the next one to feel the edge of my sword.  
It turns out that I could use magic as well, hidden deep inside me but Pan told me he could sense it from the moment I landed on the island, and he just had to find a way of releasing it. He taught me to use it, control it. It felt good to use, it made me feel power that I'd never felt before in the enslaved life that I had lived thus far.  
I knew that it was wrong, what I was being made to do to these boys, but I found as the years went on, the less I cared, I built walls for myself and masks I could use in front of Pan, in front of the pirates, the boys, every person I spoke to needed a different mask, a different wall to block out the pain I felt. The nightmares stopped after that. And every now and again I felt myself enjoying hearing the screams, taking my anger out on those children, it felt good. The more time went by, the less I felt the mental tug of Pan's control, I'd told myself he was still controlling me, it was him doing those things, not me. No, it couldn't be me.  
...

10 years. It took 10 years before Pan returned my heart to its rightful place. It felt odd at first, a flood of emotions that I hadn't felt so intensely in such a long time, I'd almost begged him to take it back, almost. Once my heart was restored I could no longer convince myself I was being controlled, and the first child I killed being truly myself, I stuck to the pattern, torture, pain, and then finally death would come. I realised I had to put up more walls to block out the emotions. But I still enjoyed it, and that scared me.  
The next time I killed, I did it swiftly, no torture and as little pain as could manage, just one quick blow and it was over. Pan didn't care that l"much, said as long as I did what he asked of me, he didn't care how I got the job done. He trusted me now. As I gained his trust, I slowly but surely lost the trust of my only true friend, Hook. It was as though he could sense the dark spot on my heart growing larger, he didn't say anything, but whenever he looked at me I could see it; the distrust, concern and pity, it grew stronger every day. And his searching for an escape only grew more intense.

...

5 more years on that island. I had lost count of the amount of children I'd killed. I began going on recruits with Pan, searching for any clues towards my family as we traveled the realms for children looking for an escape, who felt unwanted and completely alone in the world. I no longer slept on the ship, merely visiting, preferring instead to sleep at the camp, I'd become closer to Pan, his rand hand in a way and that didn't sit well with Hook, the look in his eyes had become less that of pity, and more accusing, anger, and disappointment. It was hard to face every day, hence why my visits became less and less frequent./p  
And then he found a way out. A way off the island completely, the plan was sound, almost fool proof. We could see no way that Pan could stop us.  
Hook had been talking with a few mermaids on the furthest side of the island, they were able to leave and go to other realms whenever they liked, but they couldn't take anyone with them.  
They were beautiful, each one had hair of a different colour, their eyes sparkled with the reflection of the waves as they spoke in hypnotic voices that seemed to flow with the water surrounding them, and they wore jewellery that I'd never seen before. That's where Hook had the idea, they could bring things back with them. The price was high, he had to give up a necklace that he had treasured for as long as I'd known him, but when they returned with the bean, he claimed it was worth the sacrifice.  
I'm not sure what made me do it, I suppose over the years the loyalty I felt towards Pan had outgrown my friendship and respect for Hook. I still wanted to leave the island, to escape what I had become here, what Pan had made me become. But I was scared, scared of being caught, scared of punishment, and scared of a life any different to the one I lived. I told Pan the entire plan.  
'I'm disappointed that you've been plotting against me all these years, Leo, but you've at least come to your senses now, you've done well laddy.'

That night, Hook, the crew and I prepared for departure, sailing out as far from the island as we could, Hook seemed to sense my worry though.

'Don't worry lad, Pan can't stop us now, we'll be in a new realm within minutes, and somewhere he can't get to us anymore'

The bean was on the table in front of me, Hook's reassuring words had me feeling guilty, and I found myself wondering just when I'd stopped being his friend, when the masks I had created had become a reality. I knew he would never forgive me for this. I grabbed the bean without him noticing just as a huge bang came from the deck. We all rushed to see what was going on, Hook especially looked more scared than I had ever seen from him before.  
Pan was here.

'What's going on here then? Not thinking of leaving my little paradise are you Hook? You know that's not part of the game'

He looked smug, a cocky grin plastered on his face as he stood alone on one side of the deck, pirates on the other.  
I glanced over to Hook who looked confused and worried, realization dawning on him that he wouldn't be leaving whilst Pan was here. He tried to regain some composure.  
'Nothing to see here lad, we're just having a clean-up ready for a party, we decided to have it away from the island so as not to disturb anyone.'  
Pan nodded, grin still on his face

'You won't be needing that bean then will you? Leo'

The pirate's eyes were all on me. Mask time. Show no weakness. I walked over to Pan, and placed the bean on his outstretched hand, he pocketed it and nodded once at me, this was the cue to leave. I glanced back at the pirates, shock on all faces, anger on most, and Hook. I locked eyes with him.

Yep, he'll never forgive me.


End file.
